The Prophet: Loyal to Hazrat Khadija in all situations
When the Prophet (peace be upon him) lived in Makkah, he had
one wife, Lady Khadeejah. They lived happily together for 25
years. After her death, the Prophet lived 13 years during which
he married several women. We will be speaking about his marriages
in future, but we will say here that none could erase the memory
of Khadeejah or detract from the loyalty he felt toward her.
He remembered her at all times, speaking highly of her on every
occasion. This might have made some of his wives, particularly
Ayesha, feel jealous. Ayesha reports: "God's Messenger
hardly ever left home without remembering Khadeejah and praising
her. One day he did so and I felt very jealous. I said to him:
'She was only an old woman whom God has substituted for you
by a better one.' He was so angry that his forelock was shaken.
He then said to me: 'Certainly not. God has not given me a better
one: she believed in me when other people disbelieved; she acknowledged
the truth of what I said when others accused me of lying; she
was generous to me with her wealth when others were not; and
God has granted me children through her but not through my other
wives." (Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim). When she heard
this, Ayesha recognized Khadeejah's standing and never said
a word against her.
The Prophet cherished Khadeejah's memory for the rest of his
life. This manifested itself mostly in the way he treated her
friends and those who had anything to do with her. He inquired
after them and would send gifts to them. If he had a sheep slaughtered,
he would send some meat to her friends. Once an old woman visited
him and he was so kind to her. When the woman had left, Ayesha
asked him about that. He said: 'She used to visit us at Khadeejah's.'
Another woman called Zufar was the recipient of regular kindness
from the Prophet simply because she was a hairdresser who attended
to Khadeejah's needs.
One day in Madinah a woman called Nafeesah bint Munyah visited
him. She was one of the Muslims who migrated from Makkah. He
welcomed her warmly and was so delighted to see her. He even
reminded her that she was the one who facilitated his marriage
to Khadeejah. Indeed, Nafeesah was Khadeejah's friend. When
Khadeejah recognized the sort of noble character Muhammad had,
she asked Nafeesah to be the go between so as to bring about
their marriage. She handled that task in an admirable way.
One day the Prophet was at home when he heard a woman seeking
admission to come in. Her voice was akin to Khadeejah's and
he was shaken. He then said: 'Let it be Halah, my Lord.' Halah
was Khadeejah's sister, and in fact she was the one visiting
him at the time.